In the final few days of March 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak prompted countries around the world to impose strict border restrictions, causing significant travel disruption and leading Singapore Airlines to outline the most significant schedule cuts in its history for the months ahead.
With passenger volumes practically obliterated, one member of the fleet the airline first withdrew from service was an obvious choice – the airline’s 400-seater Airbus A380s – which bowed out of passenger flights on 31st March 2020.
Many of these aircraft were later flown to storage in Alice Springs, Australia, and in November 2020 the airline confirmed it would retire seven of its older A380s.
That will give SIA a future fleet of 12 superjumbos – pioneering jets it first helped to launch back in 2007.
Only this month we’ve seen two of the airline’s older A380s moved to the Changi Exhibition Centre for dismantling, with some parts set to be used in the airline’s forthcoming ‘upcycling’ project.
The A380 is back!
In what will be music to the ears for many Singapore Airlines fans, we now have confirmation that the first of the carrier’s Airbus A380s will return to passenger service from 18th November 2021, starting with flights to and from London Heathrow.
The United Kingdom was recently upgraded to Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) status, opening up quarantine-free travel to and from Singapore, and the superjumbo will of course be joining the party on the designated Heathrow – Changi VTL flight – SQ317.
“With the inclusion of the UK in the VTL arrangements, SIA has seen strong passenger demand for services to and from London towards the year-end holiday season.”
Singapore Airlines spokesperson
All Singapore Airlines A380s returning to service are in the latest 471-seat ‘Version 3’ configuration:
- 6 Suites
- 78 Business Class
- 44 Premium Economy Class
- 343 Economy Class
Regional routes first
Singapore Airlines has also reported that its A380s will be deployed on an ad hoc basis on short-haul services for “operational requirements” prior to the London launch, presumably to get the crew up to speed on the superjumbo again after a long break.
We’d expect to see cities like Bangkok included on the roster for these ‘re-training’ flights.
Unfortunately without quarantine-free two-way travel with neighbouring countries right now, not many of our Singapore-based readers will be able to take advantage of shorter flights like these, but they’ll be fun to see nonetheless.
It’s been a while!
The last passengers to step off a flight operated by one of Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A380s disembarked 9V-SKZ, the carrier’s newest superjumbo, shortly after 7am on 31st March 2020, following their journey on SQ317 from London.
That aircraft remains in long-term storage in Australia, having been relocated there on 26th April 2020.
Back in July we predicted a likely return for SIA’s A380s to the network, after the shrink wrap was peeled off one of the airline’s newest superjumbos in Alice Springs, 9V-SKW, and it was flown home.
A further ‘Version 3’ aircraft with the latest cabin products, 9V-SKY, then followed.
The schedule
From 18th November 2021 the flagship aircraft in the Singapore Airlines fleet will make a return on the London Heathrow route, as shown in the following schedule.
Singapore London
18th November 2021
to 26th March 2022
Airbus A380s operate on highlighted flights
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
 |
SQ306 A350-900 |
||||||||
| SIN 01:10 |
LHR 07:20 |
||||||||
|
SQ308 A350-900 |
||||||||
| SIN 09:00 |
LHR 15:20 |
||||||||
|
SQ322 A380 |
||||||||
| SIN 23:45 |
LHR 05:55* |
||||||||
* Next day
London Singapore
19th November 2021
to 26th March 2022
Airbus A380s operate on highlighted flights
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
SQ305 A350-900 |
||||||||
| LHR 09:10 |
SIN 06:05* |
||||||||
|
SQ317 VTL A380 |
||||||||
| LHR 10:55 |
SIN 07:50* |
||||||||
|
SQ319 A350-900 |
||||||||